Anne only remembers the last ten years of her life, everything prior to that is just a void of darkness, a pixelated picture in which she cannot make out the image. All Anne wants is to discover who she is, who she was before she was found on the s...
"Please, Please, Please can I come with you W.D?" Ten year old Annalise pleaded to her older brother William Daniel, or as Annalise called him W.D. He was leaving for Paris later this evening, he had been planning the trip for nearly a year but Anne didn't expect it to come so soon.
W.D chuckled at her one thousandth request to join him on his trip. "And who would look after mother and father? Who would play with Gil?" He questioned her as her gestured over to the small boy, roughly seven years in age, playing with some of the other boys of the community.
Their family were quiet wealthy, despite the expectation that people of colour were only "help", and would often hold parties, inviting all members of society. Regardless of who they were and their so called "status". Unfortunately, this caused some to protest against them - telling their whole family that they were a disgrace . But nevertheless, the Wheeler family would continue to extend their invitations to all.
W.D reached into his satchel, pulling out a small box and handing it to Annalise. "Something to remember me by while I am away."
Annalise slowly unwrapped the box to revel a beautiful, simplistic necklace. It was a gold chain with a tiny golden butterfly centred in the middle, on the underside were two words, which to many would hold no value however to Annalise and W.D it meant the world.
"Painted wings"
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"Just like in the song!" She gaped, hugging her brother. "But how will we do the song, if you are not here?"
A smile formed on her brothers face as he reached into his bag once more and pulled out a circular shaped, metal box and placed it in his palm. He reached out and slowly picked up the necklace, placing the butterfly into the top of the box and turned it ever so slightly .
Just over the music of the room, was the softest melody ever heard. Their song. W.D closed the music box quickly and placed it into Annalise's hands before their mother came over, looking regal as always.
"The carriage is here William, it is time." She said, her tone managing to hide its sadness as she kissed her son goodbye. One by one W.D said goodbye to each member of his family, leaving his beloved sister till last.
He held onto her tight, whispering something inaudible but ultimately caused the biggest grin on Annalise's face. W.D slowly made his way out of the house, and into the carriage, watching his family fade away in the window as he made his way to the docks.
****
6 months later
Annalise had turned eleven only in the last week and her family decided to throw a large celebration to honour her, inviting all members of the community to the party. Since W.D left that night, the snow had set in quite heavily and the vividness of the protesters had doubled each night since then.
The party, on the other hand, was beautifully and elegant. With all members of the community, both of those with white and copper skin, were dressed in their best outfits and it just depicted happiness.
"I wish for happiness like this forever" Annalise quietly murmured to herself as she played with a strand of her curly light brown hair as she watched her mother, father and baby, well seven year old, brother Gilbert dancing and smiling. She had to take a break as she was getting far too dizzy from all the dancing and decided it would be best if she had a drink of punch. Her hand fell from her hair and onto her neck as she realized that she forget to put on her butterfly necklace on this morning. Quietly and swiftly to her bedroom, running up the stairs without anybody else noticing her absence. The cold air flew through a window, though she swore she had closed it earlier like mother had asked, she quickly ran over to the upstairs window, the one across from her bedroom door (next to the large willow tree), and closed it - preventing any more snow from coming into the room.
Annalise ran into her room, picking up her butterfly necklace and placing it under the collar of her dress as well as picking up a small drawstring bag to place her music box in, so she could listen to it later on while everyone was leaving. Dance to it and pretend that W.D was their with her as well.
Annalise heard a couple of scream from down stairs and sprinted down to see what fun they were having. But she never found out. As she was going down the stairs, a man, whom she had seen outside protesting earlier this evening, noticed her stood on the stairs with her. Her eyes grew wider as she tried to run away from the man, the echo of gun shots echoing through out the house.
She managed to get all the way up the stairs, her back to the man, before the man picked up his own gun, aiming directly at her and pulled the trigger. Pain shot through the back of Anne's shoulder as she collapsed, hitting her head onto the top of the stairs. Her music box rolling down the stairs and out of her sights as her eye lids fluttered closed.
****
The telegram came a little over three days after the event.
"Dead?" W.D said, his tone full of disbelief. "All of them?" He sunk down onto the chair, holding the telegram in his hands which read that all members of the Wheeler family present that evening had died in the protester's gunfire. He though about his last memory of his mother, father, Gilbert and Annalise. Oh, little Annalise. Whom he had promised that he would return to take her to Paris so they could be together. But now they would never be together in Paris.
And that thought harden his heart, turning it into one of pure ice.
